Burnin
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics

This morning I woke up in a curfew
I woke up during a time of martial law, where my freedom and movements are restricted.

O God, I was a prisoner, too - yeah!
I felt trapped and helpless, just like a prisoner, with no control over my own life.

Could not recognize the faces standing over me
I did not personally know the people who were enforcing the martial law or their intentions toward me.

They were all dressed in uniforms of brutality. Eh!
The people enforcing the martial law were clearly intimidating and violent, with uniforms that suggested they would cause harm if given the chance.

How many rivers do we have to cross Before we can talk to the boss? Eh!
How many barriers and dangers must we face just to communicate with those in power? It seems impossible to be heard without significant effort and risk.

All that we got, it seems we have lost We must have really paid the cost
Despite our struggles and sacrifices, we seem to have lost everything in our fight for freedom and justice. The price we paid must have been incredibly high.

(That's why we gonna be) Burnin' and a-lootin' tonight (Say we gonna burn and loot) Burnin' and a-lootin' tonight (One more thing) Burnin' all pollution tonight (Oh, yeah, yeah) Burnin' all illusion tonight
As a response to the oppression we face, we will resort to violence and theft as a way to fight back. We will also work to rid the world of the pollution that contributes to our struggles and the illusions that keep us from being free.

Oh, stop them!
We need to put an end to the people causing our suffering and oppression.

Give me the food and let me grow Let the roots man take a blow All them drugs gonna make you slow now It's not the music of the ghetto. Eh!
We need to be given the resources to survive and thrive on our own, and we need to be able to fight back against those who try to harm us. The introduction of drugs and other vices to our community only serves to weaken us further, and we need more empowering forms of art and culture.

Weepin' and a-wailin' tonight (Ooh, can't stop the tears!) Weepin' and a-wailin' tonight (We've been suffering these long, long-a years) Weepin' and a-wailin' tonight (Will you say cheer?) Weepin' and a-wailin' tonight (But where?)
We are filled with sadness and despair because of the many years of struggle and pain we have endured. We question if there is any hope for us and if we will ever find peace or happiness.

We gonna be burnin' and a-lootin' tonight (To survive, yeah!) Burnin' and a-lootin' tonight (Save your babies' lives) Burning all pollution tonight (Pollution...) Burning all illusion tonight (Lord-a, Lord-a, Lord-a, Lord!)
The only choice we have left to survive and protect our loved ones is to resort to violence and theft. We also need to work to rid our world of harmful pollution and the illusions that keep us from making progress toward a better future.

Burning and a-looting tonight Burning and a-looting tonight Burning all pollution tonight
We must continue to fight and resort to violence and theft to make our voices heard and protect ourselves. We also need to take direct action to clean up the world we live in.